Cholesterol levels rocketing sky-high is a reality for most men today. And the disease is vaguely understood as causing heart problems. That’s about it. Often the docs also do not tell anything specific to their patients. Interestingly, in this the patients are also to be blamed; you have a right to quiz your doctor about the exact implications of your cholesterol levels. If you don’t, doctors tend to think of you as just another lay dumbo and clam up. Here’s a check-list for you to go through when you visit your doctor next:

a) The standard therapy is with statins, eg. Atorvastatin etc. but ask whether your doctor has heard reports of muscle problems associated with this kind of drug. All statins have shown negative nervous effects. If your doctor has not heard of any, then he/she is just not keeping up with the literature. Run away from his chamber.

b) Should you be given a capsule of fatty omega acids? They are basically fish oils. Does the doctor think that cholesterol’s underlying disease can merely be controlled by a statin? Remember that atherosclerosis is a rarely reversible disease and multi-drug therapy is the only way to combat it. Right, atherosclerosis is often the disease which kills a person if he or she has high cholesterol levels.
And if your doctor gives you one of those omega fatty acid pills, what precaution should you take for they are known to cause heartburn and lacerate the stomach lining.

c) What about taking Coenzyme Q10? Has he heard of it? Will it not counter the effects of the statins?

d) Ask clearly what you should and should not eat. If the doctor says that once in a while you can have rich oily food, understand the fellow does not care about you. Remember, what goes in some quantity can hardly be neutralized by much smaller pills. There is no magic know to anyone which can reverse atherosclerosis if you eat wrong.

e) Get an exercise regimen from him/her. Tell him to put it in writing on the prescription. That will motivate you.

Remember even if your cholesterol levels go down, chances are atherosclerosis is still hardening your arteries everywhere in your body.The heart and the brain are often the most susceptible for the blood vessels are very delicate and thin there. Blood clots can easily choke any of them.

I add that this author is not a doctor and any medical use of this article is prohibited. Please consult a doctor before using any of the drugs mentioned here.